BRUSSELS: EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday said that Israel cannot be allowed to have the unilateral power to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state following the conflict in Gaza.
Borrell stated during a press conference in Brussels with his Egyptian counterpart that “Israel cannot have the veto right to the self-determination of the Palestinian people,” stressing that the United Nations has repeatedly recognized the self-determination right of the Palestinians.
These remarks follow Borrell’s facilitation of talks on Monday between the EU’s 27 foreign ministers and diplomats from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and key Arab states. Borrell proposed a roadmap involving an international conference for a two-state solution and mentioned the need to “impose” peace on Israel.
EU Advocates Self-Determination for Palestinians
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry noted an “international consensus on the necessity of resolving the conflict on the basis of a two-state solution” and urged its implementation.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a Palestinian state ad insisted Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
The health ministry in the Gaza Strip has said that since October 7 last year, at least 25,490 people, predominantly women and children, have been killed int the Israel, ground, air and sea operations.
The latest toll also included 195 fatalities in the last 24 hours, a ministry statement said. It added that more than 63,354 people had been injured in the war.
Shoukry warned of potential displacement in Gaza if adequate humanitarian assistance is not allowed, stating that making conditions unlivable could induce population displacements.
Earlier, 24 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip, the army admitted on Tuesday, the biggest death toll in a single day since the conflict began in October, amid what people of Palestine said was the most intense bombing of southern Gaza in the war.
